To Smith, no question about ex-Notre Dame teammate Floyd

April 26, 2012|By Brian Hamilton | Tribune reporter

Notre Dame's Michael Floyd figures to fly off the draft board early in the first round Thursday. (Orlando Sentinel Photo)

Between the Senior Bowl and the NFL scouting combine, Harrison Smith estimates that he has spoken with every NFL team in advance of the draft that begins Thursday night. The former Notre Dame safety, a possible first-round pick, believes he's done all he can in the run-up.

And that includes allaying any concerns about former Irish teammate Michael Floyd.

"Everybody asks about Floyd," Smith said. "It was crazy."

Floyd, too, is expected to be a first-round pick Thursday, following up his record-setting Notre Dame career with a strong combine showing. But clearly teams wanted to dig into his character after multiple alcohol-related legal dust-ups, including the March 2011 arrest for operating a vehicle under the influence that earned him an indefinite suspension.

But as teams dug, Smith insisted there was nothing to unearth.

"I told them what I thought -- I love Floyd," Smith said. "I was working out with him before Pro Day. We were consistently the guys going in there and going hard every day. That's how he was when he was at Notre Dame.

"That's what told them -- that I would want him on my team every day of the week."